


Christmas miracle

by regnumveritatis



Series: There is no such thing as "too much Luke/Rey"! [4]
Category: Miracle on 34th Street (1994), Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: 1950s, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Character of Faith, Christmas Fluff, Cinnamon Roll Rey, F/M, Families of Choice, Foreign Language, Good Parent Han Solo, Historical Dress, Human Threepio, Idealism, Inspired by a Movie, Leia Organa Ships It, Mental Institutions, Mistletoe, Past Child Abuse, Politics, Protective Rey (Star Wars), Warm and Fuzzy Feelings
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-25
Updated: 2018-02-02
Packaged: 2019-03-09 03:10:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,445
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13472475
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/regnumveritatis/pseuds/regnumveritatis
Summary: As promised: my Star Wars/Miracle on 34th Street crossover





	1. Chapter 1

Day before Thanksgiving, New York 1954 (Rey's POV)

It's Thanksgiving free time so technically she shouldn't be here, what with the national holiday and all, but Rey Solo has always loved putting things together and right now the empty department store is the perfect place for Rey to work on her latest project: a set of Santa's sled complete with bronze reindeer figurines that she began last week. Christmas has always been special for the young woman. For as long as she can remember the mere mention of the festive season made Rey all tingly, gave her the feeling that anything was possible. Her foster brother Han (to whom she will remain eternally grateful for adopting her once he reached 18, not joking when he said it might be too late for her to be raised by a loving family but he promised to be the best big brother in history) says that Rey's excitement for Christmas is a byproduct of her eternal optimism. 'Happy people like Christmas, kid. And you're the cheeriest person I know' he always proclaims with his gruff voice that also manages to be adorable.

Her boss Mister Karrde is sick which means she has free jurisdiction over the shop, just how she likes it. Talon is not the worst boss Rey's ever had, far from it. (That honor goes to Unkar Plutt, a foster parent who ran a junkyard and made his 'children' work for food). The man is considerate to Rey and all his employees but he has this annoying habit of finding out everything about the people around him. Her co-worker Jessika says that Talon was secretly a spy in his army days, the girls had giggled over it but deep down she wonders if there's any truth to that theory. She sees him walk over to where her nearly-finished

Rey's thoughts are interrupted by the sound of the store's bell ringing. Oh, blast it all she forgot to put the 'Closed' sign on the door. Well, she can squeeze in a customer. After all, it's not the customer's fault she absentmindedly left the impression that they're open and overtime money is always useful. That way she can get Han a really nice Christmas present and their dog Chewie can receive a big, juicy steak for Christmas dinner with extra cheese just the way the brown mastiff likes it.

"Just a minute, I'll be right there."

She's met with the aesthetically pleasing sight of a middle aged man with a well-groomed beard & the loveliest blue eyes Rey has seen since Han and her snuck into the movies through the back to watch Errol Flynn's 'Against All Flags'. Rey was never quite sold on that premise in the old Disney movies where Cinderella and Snow White fell in love at first sight for one simple reason. The songs were lovely and the story was pretty but the concept behind it was alien to her. Even attraction at first sight was a foreign notion to her.  _Or at least it used to be. Guess that means I'm not aromantic like Jessika thought I might be._

Pull yourself together Rey, the poor man might die waiting if you keep fawning over his desert sky blue irises. Thinking she's been a complete dunce Rey pinches herself to prevent any further stupidity on her part. Lovely blue eyes man as she's dubbed him, asks for white hair dye, that means he's probably an actor or maybe he's just trying to make a statement against the whole 'stay wrinkle-free as long as you can' mentality. Either way it makes for an interesting picture, one she doesn't see every day. Rey watches lovely blue eyes man walk over to her nearly-finished sculpture, curiosity taking hold of his cerulean orbs as he inspects but thankfully doesn't touch. He inquires if the artist would be willing to sell it to him when it's done. Her response is that she made this piece for herself, not for money, some things are just good for the soul. Blue eyes smiles, clearly impressed.

"I have to congratulate you: this is the nicest model I've seen since the 20s. 99 percent of perfection."

Someone unbiased complimented my work, if not for the fact Talon counts all the merchandise individually and checks the cash register twice a day (He's sending someone to check on it at noon) then Rey would give him the hair dye for free. 

"Only 99 percent? What can I do to earn the missing one percent?"

"You've got the reindeer in the wrong order."

"A fellow Christmas lover then? I don't suppose you could tell me the right order?"

Lovely blue eyes kindly points out that she's about to weld Cupid where Blitzen should be and Dasher should be on his right-hand slide. This causes Rey to inquire what he means by 'his' right-hand slide lovely blue eyes says that he's Santa Claus with all the seriousness in the world. Well, actor it is then. Very method of him to actually dye his hair instead of wearing a wig like most of the Santa actors that will be high on demand now that Thanksgiving's almost done with. He's not the traditional Santa's helper that she sees on the department stores but he does possess a certain air of... jolliness that Rey's only watched in the cartoon versions of the iconic holiday figure. Lovely blue eyes Santa Claus pays for his product along with a small box of sugar cookies her boss puts out for the 'Christmas market'.

"Thank you for buying with us today. I hope you had a pleasant experience."

"I did. Thank you Miss?"

"Solo, Rey Solo. You have at me at a disadvantage Sir. I don't know your name but you know mine."

"You're right, that was unseemly of me. Luke Skywalker, 435th official Santa Claus and before you ask no I am not supposed to look like an old, fat man. The first Santa Claus was a kind, charitable bishop who had a little bit of magic up his sleeve since his youth and used it to help others. Before he died Saint Nicholas passed on that magic to a disciple of his and so on and so on until finally it was passed down to me."

If Han were here then her older brother would declare him crazy, not going as far to intern in one of those horrible mental institutions but he'd definitely try to find some way to change the conversation into a topic in order to speed up his departure. That would be the logical course of action. But Rey has never been logical in her life outside of when necessity demands it, she is a woman who grew up in poverty yet still believes in fairytale endings. So she does what nobody in a reasonable mind frame would recommend, Rey believes him. On the way out he forgets his change so she ends up running out the door to bring it to him. They end up standing over the bloody mistletoe she's been avoiding like the plague. Rey stares at the man before her, wondering if he'd bother kissing the 'fugly scavenger chick' as they called her in high school. Probably not, even Santa Claus has undesirables.

"Bad memories with the mistletoe Miss Solo? You're trying to kill it with that glare."

"Well, you get tricked into being locked up in the high school broom closet for 10 hours until the janitor comes back and then I'll ask you if you still like the lousy shrub."

"Maybe I would. I'm a bit of a hopeless romantic."

"Mrs. Claus must love that about you."

"Actually, I don't have a wife. That's part of the reason I'm here. "

"And the other part?"

"Oh you know, the usual. Spread Christmas cheer, heal a few broken hearts and make some kids smile."

"That sounds lovely. Good luck on your mission Santa Claus."

"Thanks, it's appreciated. Before I forget: what do you want for Christmas?"

"A new engine for my brother's old Ford and a fat-free, juicy steak for our dog."

"And for yourself?"

"I'll settle for a nice, steady kiss under the mistletoe to change my mind about the damn weed."

That last sentence comes out of her mouth without thinking, causing her cheeks to flush. She's dictating an apology down in her brain when his lips brush over hers in the most tender way possible. Really, the whole affair  is gentility personified. It makes her like something precious, something worthy of recognition. Rey has butterflies in the stomach when he retracts his lips from hers. 

"Merry Christmas Miss Solo. Hope to see you again soon."

 _I hope you kiss me again soon..._ " I hope we see each other too. Goodbye Luke, have a nice trip with the reindeer."

The smile he gifts her with would convince anyone that believing him is the right decision, Rey tells herself after Luke Skywalker has been long gone but the feel of his lips still linger on her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hands out tin cup: comments please????


	2. Chapter 2

                                                                        Thanksgiving 6 am, 1954 (Luke's POV)

After he dyes his hair white people finally start accepting him somewhat as Santa Claus. (At this rate he's wondering if it'd be rude to ask the Three Kings for a time machine so he can convince the manager of Coca-Cola in the 1920s that the figure of Father Christmas is traditionally well-aged but not ancient.) Still, even if the white hair dye hadn't worked he would count that day as a memorable one because of starry-eyed Rey Solo that asked for gifts for her family before herself. Sensitive, honest and still cheerful: the loveliest girl he'd met since that accidental run in with Princess Margethe* in 1949. It was so refreshing to see a young person, or any person really, maintain a sense of real Christmas spirit in this smog coated city that makes him have to walk over to Central Park for fresh air. Her peers are a cause for concern amidst the community: barely three days in this city and Luke's seen youngsters open Christmas cards in front of mailmen and dump the ones that fail to produce a dollar bill, others beg their parents for objects they don't really need with crocodile tears but the worst are probably the teenagers that bully their fellow human companions for being excited over Christmas, claiming that 'Christmas is for kids.' Since when is Christ's birthday no longer honored!?!? New York wasn't this cynical when he last visited ten years ago and the whole kriffing country was involved in a war!! Maybe the pollution's screwed over people's brains...

Oh well, it seems like he has his work cut off for him but hopefully other bright souls will stumble along his way and make his task of reminding people the true spirit of Christmas goes far beyond fancy lights and huge dinners and Black Friday sales (which, quite frankly scares him a little with how grabby the people get) a little easier. His first mission doesn't bother him as much as the whole 'find a suitable Mrs Claus' part ordered by his superior Ak, the Master Woodsman of the World*(a supreme immortal, A.K.A holy angel). Honestly, he's been doing this job for almost twenty years with no real problems except for the Awgwa upsurge that started when the dark creatures drew strength from the new generation's lack of belief and if Ak's word can be trusted then the fault for humanity's cynicism didn't lie with him. So why does he need a Mrs. Claus? The 125th Santa Claus went without one and he operated for almost fifty years! Perhaps the higher ups are simply trying to say that he should enjoy himself a little more by moving him towards the most worldly aspect of the Father Christmas tradition? Ah, who is he to ponder what angels think? Best to enjoy the parade and just follow through with the plan tomorrow, with or without a Mrs. Claus the children need him.  _(And besides the only woman I'd want to consider for the job right now is too young for anything beyond a Mistletoe kiss that made my toes curl...)_

As he's waiting for the red light on the street two little girls tug at his brown long-length coat, smiling innocently in the way children do best. One of the little girls goes over to the man holding their hands, probably their grandfather since the older gentleman and these little blonde cherubs share the same cheekbones and ears. He remembers these girls, young Pooja and Ryo Naberrie. Lovely girls, the both of them.

"Please ask him grandpa." Well, that proves that theory.

The gentleman looks at him apologetically before speaking. "I'm sorry sir but my grandchildren seem to think you're Santa Claus."

Obviously, he and the older gentleman laugh about the assumption but that only serves to convinces Pooja even further of his identity since his laugh sounds exactly like she imagined the real Santa's laugh would be. Oh, a true believer. Such ingenuity must not go unrewarded. Just before crossing he smiles, crouches down and whispers to the little girl that yes, he is the bona fide Santa Claus and reminds Pooja to eat her vegetables. She whispers 'I knew it' with a smile so angelic that it casts all his inhibitions aside.

Along the way he decides to inspect the Parade's Santa Claus since the newer ones all seem to have trouble with the whip. Understandable, horses have gone out of fashion this century except for a couple of instances where farmers prefer a more traditional route in sowing the land. Just as he expected, the man currently representing him has no idea how to handle the whip at all. Or how to walk properly either. Maybe he's having a rough day? Well, in that case perhaps a helping hand might be in order. It's not a difficult thing to instruct the fellow Christmas helper.

"I beg your pardon, sir. You seem to have got mixed up with this whip of yours. Allow me, will you? It's quite simple, really. You don't mind if I show you?"

The man replies that he'll allow him to demonstrate how the whip is actually thrust, explaining that it's all in the wrist. For better comprehension he compares it to holding a ball. His 'helper' mumbles a bit and Luke catches whisky in the man's breath. Oh, of all the things to do on this very day! Did proper holiday decorum disappear completely in the last decade? 

"I can't believe you're drinking."

"Well, it's cold. A man has to do something to keep warm."

"You ought to be ashamed of yourself. Don't you realize there are thousands of children...lining the streets waiting to see you... children who have been dreaming of this moment for weeks? You're a disgrace to the tradition of Christmas...and I refuse to have you malign me in this fashion."

Feeling absolutely disgusted Luke goes to find the person in charge of this parade. The first member of the costumed participants is equally unaware of who is responsible for this festivity. It takes him five participants until a kind lady in the marching band directs him to Miss Organa. 

                                                                Thanksgiving Day Macy's Parade (Leia's POV)

She's rounding up the marching band when she feels a gentle tap on the back on her shoulder, Leia turns around and sees Santa Claus in a brown long-length coat and a fedora. What is he doing here?!? He should be at the sled already. I don't have the time for this, let alone the patience. Leia resolves herself to **NOT** yell at her employee who, come to think of it, is somehow filling her with a fuzzy feeling she hasn't experienced since she was a little girl on Christmas morning. Where was this wonderful sensation all week? Oh, who cares. If anybody else feels this-this  _jolly_ then Leia won't begrudge him for holding out so long.

"Miss Organa, one of the men in your parade..."

"What are you doing out of costume? Please get back and get dressed."

She really doesn't need this right now. If a doctor were to take her blood at this moment the needle might draw more coffee than actual red cells at this point. Her whole work itinerary this month has focused on making on two things: her children and the god-forsaken Macy's Parade. Finn's mother Starra was a friend of Leia's at Cambridge so when she heard about her son placed in an orphanage the young woman was quick to file the paperwork. Finn had adamantly refused to leave the institution without his friend Rose so Leia what she considers to be the sensible thing: adopt them both and get two lovely children when it seemed she'd be limited to one. Sadly, single mothers don't have a lot of help most days so she's ended up taking poor Finn and Rose to work with her on weekends. If not for the next door neighbor Mr. Solo and his younger sister Rey (who in Leia's opinion was born with innate baby-sitting skills) then she would have been forced to leave them alone on some of the more dangerous construction supervision days for the floats. So if it's not too much trouble, could Mr. Claus or whatever his real name is cooperate and- She takes a proper look at the man's face and notices he has blue eyes whereas her hired Santa Claus had brown.

"Oh, I'm terribly sorry. I thought you were our Santa Claus."

The aforementioned man grimaces and Leia's gut tells her that trouble's brewing in her direction, not necessarily little in its determination of her life. Please be something minor, please be something minor. I just want to have dinner at home with my kids, spend a few hours together until its their bedtime and then step into a nice bath with rose petal oil.

"Your Santa Claus is intoxicated."

"Oh, no!" _Please no, I wanted so much to make it in time for Thanksgiving dinner. This is our first holiday as a family..._

"Yes. It's disgraceful. How can you allow a man to get into such a position?"

The man who looks like Santa Claus leads her to where her hired person for the parade is drunkenly singing Jingle Bells. In anger, she takes the cane from the nice fellow who led her to this lousy drunkard and hits him on the head after the fool's excuse is that 'a man has to do something to keep warm'. Leia requests her assistant to fetch black coffee to see if the crisis is avoidable but it's rendered a lost cause when the man falls asleep. Oh no, where is she going to find another actor in time? The parade's seconds from starting... A pale green and gold handkerchief is handed to her, the young woman takes it quietly and notices that the man who gave her the handkerchief is the same gentleman whom she confused as Santa Claus. No! She shouldn't be considering it! The man is a complete stranger...But Finn and Rose have spent far too many holidays alone with broken promises. Oh, screw it. 

"Kind sir: what's your name?"

"I'm Luke Skywalker. Pleasure to meet you."

"Pleasure's all mine. Luke: could you be our Santa Claus?"

"Me?"

"The parade's starting and we need a Santa. Do you have any experience?"

"Just a little but I'm not in the habit of replacing spurious Santa Clauses."

"Help me Luke Skywalker, you're my only hope."

"Well, the children mustn't be disappointed. All right, I'll do it."

"Oh, thank you!!! Come right this way."

Her assistant Kaydel gets the Santa Claus suit off the drunkard with the help of two clowns, one of which asks the young woman out for dinner. Leia's 'best that I could do at the moment' Santa Claus turns out to be the most wonderful Santa Claus she's ever seen (and boy has she seen a lot of Santa Clauses). He handles the whip perfectly and even calls out some of the children by names that he miraculously gets right. Their tiny eyes sparkle as they exclaim the joy of knowing Santa Claus remembered them and Leia feels all warm inside, like somebody gave a steaming cup of hot chocolate with whipped cream and cocoa syrup. It's that feeling that prompts her into putting Mr. Skywalker on contract the moment he steps a foot out of the sled. Leia practically skips with delight on the way to her car because the kindly older gentleman accepted the terms and signed on the spot.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Margrethe Alexandrine Þórhildur Ingrid; born 16 April 1940, is the current Queen of Denmark.  
> *This character shows up in L. Frank Baum's (The author of Wizard of Oz) "The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus" in 1902. It's a lovely little Christmas book for anyone but it's sadly fallen out of print.  
> Hands out tin cup: Comments please????


End file.
